Mediabrands Content Studio published a book with helpful information and cute illustrations to welcome young refugee children to Denmark.
Millions of Ukrainians have crossed the border and entered other European nations in search of safety. Many of these refugees are young children. A small but meaningful act of kindness has made the journey more tolerable for little ones. Mediabrands Content Studio, based in Denmark, has published a children's book for Ukrainian speakers called "Welcome to Denmark." The simple booklet, featuring adorable illustrations, introduces refugees to Danish culture and helps them feel safer and more at ease as families start afresh in a completely new country. Already, 20,000 copies have been distributed, Good News Network reports.
The company originally wrote the copy in Danish. They were elated when a young woman from Ukraine, also a refugee, agreed to translate the copy into Ukrainian. After the translation was completed, Mediabrands Content Studio announced the publication of their children's book on social media in the hopes that people or local organizations might be able to use them. Then, only 72 hours later, the firm distributed approximately 20,000 booklets to refugees entering the country. Readers loved the book, and they were soon flooded with requests for more copies. They received requests from Danish train, bus, and ferry companies who wished to share the book with newly arriving Ukrainian passengers.
Therefore, 20,000 more copies are currently in the process of being printed. In addition to welcoming refugees to Denmark, the book serves an educational purpose. It highlights the differences between the two cultures, and even acts as a mini-phrasebook to help make conversations easier. Furthermore, the book includes adorable illustrations that young children can quickly relate to. One passage, for instance, reads in translation: "When the children are free from school, they go to sports or go out and play. There are many children in Denmark who play either football, handball, or ride skateboards and scooters. Many people also like to play on computers. Even if you can not speak Danish, you can easily join. Sport is the same across borders, and a smile means the same thing in all languages."
Another passage from the book introduces refugees to the concept of "hygge," which can be loosely translated to mean "cozy." The page on hygge is the closing chapter, and ends with a warm welcome to all. "[Hygge] is a Danish word that we use about the feeling you get when you are with good friends, drink hot cocoa, or watch TV together," the booklet reads. "It may be a little hard to say, but we all know the feeling. It is the heat that spreads in the stomach. The calm that falls over us. The smile that finds its way to the face. We look forward to having fun with you and your family. Welcome!"